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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1908)
r r MOST PRODUCTIVE OF ALL r 4 &ETSG?7 TOW:j? JOtlDS cannot tell the story of Hermiston and the Umatilla " " National Irrigation project," one lady recently remarked when our chasing views, after having made a trip to Cold Springs dam. "I wish my hus band could but see this great project, neither pictures nor words can tell him of its greatness." " "The miracle of irrigation," says C. J. Blanchard, Chief of .the United States Reclamation Service, ."is wonderful enough without exaggerating the story and without omitting any cold facts," and ha man who tells the story of the Her miston Valley need not exaggerate in the least; the great work being done, here must be seen to be appreciated. To be so valuable that the Government apends more money per acre to reclaim this land than any other land under Na tional Irrigation, to be' characterized by the Chief Engineer and sometime Acting Director of Die Reclamation Service as "the most productive of all Government irrigation enterprises, owing to favorable climate, nearness to transportation and richness of soil," to be recognised all over the Nation by those acquainted with the Government's policy of reclamation as the most ideal of all its projects, and to be so valuable that the farm limit estab lished is the smallest of any In the United States: these are the things in which the Umatilla National Irrigation Project, ly ing In the Hermiston Valley, Is unique. And because of these great advantages the Hermiston Valley is filling rapidly with settlers who are anxious to take ad vantage of the opportunity your Uncle Sam is offering. Water Is Heady. This year will be the first for the Her miston Valley .under National irrigation although irrigation has been successful in every Instance on the project, or Its edges, where private parties have been able to secure water. The Government expects to inrii us water over the land on or be fore April 1 of the present year. Already the water has been brought onto the project and run through about . 10 miles of the. distributing ditches with out a break, the Government Is now using water from the canal to complete work on the dam and will start water flowing In .the reservoir this week a remarkable commentary upon the construction and care with which the system has been in stalled by the Government engineers. The dam Is now expected to be completed about May 1, and great praise is due B. II. Davis and his assistants for the rap idity In which this grat dam has been built. , As the result of this success Project Engineer. John T. Whistler In an Inter view declared that the water would, un lss some unforseen accident occurred, be ready for delivery on the lands to be wa- xerea tins spring, without question. As the Government forsees some breaks and is prepared to handle them, thip Is as emphatic a statement as could be desired. In part Mr. Whistler said: "The progress of the water In both feed canal and distribution mains was much morn rapid than anticipated, and there would appear to be no reason whatever why Water should not be on the 7000 acres of the Hermiston unit In the Spring of l!e. as planned, in time for a full sea son's irrigation." Although the policy of the service Is against advising settlers what to do, the feeling is quite general among the engi neers that It will be wise for the settler, to go ahead, prepare his land for irriga tion and get ready for the water. In pursuance of this tuiggestion several hundred acres of land Is now being cleared, and with the coming of Spring and the Government water, the desert will begin the wonderful transformation being worked out by Uncle Sam through National irrigation. The Nation's part In this work of iiunsiormauon Is purely paternal Its reward is to be leaped not in profits, but in the healthy independence of the citi reps who will seize this" opportunity to make a home. The Government does not even receive theoretical Interest upon the amount It invests in the system for the benefit of those who till the soli, although In the success of the project it will have Its investment returned to it bv the land owners. Thus under National "irrigation and under National irrigation alone the settler is In no way exploited for the benefit of the promoters. Under this arrangement the Government is expending more than a million dollars at.Hermis'ton and it Is putting in a sys tem of Irrigation that is absolutely per manent and a marvel of engineering skill. From the source of diversion in the T'mni'illa JUver the water is carried for 25 miles through the big feed canal lo Cold Springs Reservoir, where a monster dam has been built between the rock walls of a canyon, and a lake thus cre ated which will cover about luOO acres and hold water enough to cover the project bout two and three-fourths feet deep. The feed canal has been thoroughly pud dled, and where built through rock has been concreted jo that seepage losses are reduced to a. minimum. The dam Is one of the largest earthen dams In the world. At its base its thick ness Is 520 feet, while the crest. 90 foet above. Is 20 feet wide; at tho crest the dam extends 3300 feet across tho canyon. It Is built of a mixture of earth onrt gravel impervious to water, and surfaced with rock. At the bottom of the dam, built into 1 the rock, is the concrete outlet, througn which the water will rush with all the tremendous force of its 90-foot head out onto the fertile valley to be reclaimed, oates to this outlet are manipulated through a concrete tower, upon the top of which will be erected a little house, connected by a . steel footbridge with the crest of the dam. From the outlet the water is released through the various canals and laterals, of which there are some 150 miles on th t.l V in if -K v yocG project. Drops from tne higher laterals to the lower ones, and turnouts from the large to the small ditches are construct ed of concrete, built to last. Much of the land covered can be reached on account of its rolling nature only through in verted syphons, and to do this over six miles of reinforced concrete pressure pipe from 30 to 46 inches in diameter and over two miles of smaller pipe line have been made. In all this construction tho engineers have . had in mind the Government's watchword, permanence. The relation of the settler to' Uncle Sam is pecruliar. The Government policy refuses, to do business with individuals. Hence the individuals have incorporated a. Waterusers' Association, which will eventually own and operate the Govern ment irrigation works under National supervision. In this association each acre of land represents one share of stock and one vote. When this stock Is fully paid up. the association will have paid the Government the cost of its work here, and the settler will own the water right to his land. Annual pay ments for ten years of J6 and Jl for main tenance Der year will cover tills cost, and 1 THE SUNDAY." OREGOXIAN, rORTLAyp. FEBRUARY 16, - 1908. -v; i r ccrssj?z pjr.w after that the cost of water will be sim ply that of actual maintenance and op eration. At no time does any one re ceive a profit from the settler. Every cent he expends brings him a roturn of value at actual cost. Lands sell at from J65 to. 1125 per acre, and easy payments are provided so that the settler can make his home pay for itself. The Promised Tvand. Is Hermiston the Promised Land? The Hermiston settler will tell you that it is if you ask him; but there is this dif ference: the Land of Canaan was a land of milk and honey; the Hermiston Valley is a land of fruit and honey, although from the wonderful yield of alfalfa it might be the other if the settler did not desire the better paying fruit crops. Yet no settler will altogether Ignore alfalfa and dairy products, because without ques tion he will utilize every resource of bis land in intensive cultivation, and by this means he will have a home, life out o" doors; corresponding good health, and through diversified farming on his ranch- . ',-"-:i'"--"-vtagg IRRIGATED LANDS ..... V "5 4 STTTr home, an independence that 'will pay for itself. Primarily the project will be devoted to fruit. Grapes, cherries and peaches offer quick and big returns to the settler, and much of the project will be devoted to raising these high-priced products. The Oregon applo will also come in for a good share of attention and many ranch tracts will be devoted to raising a fruit that will, judging from conditions and past experience, rival the famed product at Hood River. Strawberries king of the smaller fruits will be raised extensively, for soil, low altitude and climatic con ditions here produce a berry without a peer, - and one that can be marketed earlier than any other berry raised in.the Pacific Northwest. Cherries. prunes, pears, 'plums, apricots and nectarines all produce abundantly well-flavored fruit of remarkably fine color. . Logan berries, raspberries and blackberries have all thriven and produced splendid fruit in this district, and the high-priced nuts, walnuts, almonds, etc., have been dem onstrated successes. Gardens offer attractive results In big profits. The ideal small ranch here will have i'&j;,::?;;'::: rrtrrrirrn'iii iiu .. - " : : v' i " irX X.":.;r . v4 OF STORAGE PHOeJETCT. . f. .or -x 1 n fruit In abundance, some alfalfa for cows, some chickens, turkeys and hogs, as well as vegetables, and no. man who expects to get the best returns his land will pro duce will overlook any of these or bees. Some Important Facts. Profits on fruit don't begin the first year, and the settler must look to other things for his income, during the first two or three years. When the orchard is Planted and coming into bearing the culti vation of vegetables between the trees not only helpB the trees, but helps the settler. Potatoes have been a successful and profitable crop in this, for not only an early crop can be raised, but also a later one- on the same land. R. c. Cantleld, Hermiston postofflce, dug early potatoes the 1st of June, marketing all he could supply at S cents per pound. The second crop on the same ground was not so large in yield as the first, but still a good crop, with potatoes very fine, mealy, smooth and large. Another profitable and favorite crop is melons, and the reason is clear, for from one scant acre were harvested over S200 melons averaging In weight from 13 to 13 pounds, the largest 47 pounds. This IS The Story of Hermiston- and the Umatilla Project. Water Will Be Turned Onto Farms Within 60 Days . a. '.. v-yv or Cozier k5j?sygs ZUrr jyT4z ground at ,the same time yielded a profitable crop of volunteer potatoes, the first potato being dug May S8. and the first melon plucked on July S. Canta loups, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, onions, turnips, parmips, celery and the garden vegetables all show remarkable returns in this sandy asli oil. Alfalfa cuts from 7 to 10 tons per acre, in three to four cuttings, and Is of .tine .stock, not woods. Grains could be grown with success and have been, but the land is far too valuable for that. i'owls of every sort thrive. Dry til mate and mild induces laying all the year, while poultry diseases are almost unknown. ' The' alfalfa-fed hos, rivaling the corn-fed porker of the Middle West In profit, and surpassing it In the produc tion of hams and bacon of exquisite flavor, Is a source of profit using up waste materials on the ranch. Success Stories. Not many men will pay for thier ranch out of ono year's profit from bee keeping, but that it can be done is the experience of R. K. Thorn, who this year sold from 260 stands of bees 12.800 pounds or 11600 worth of honey. Twen ty acres of land, JS0.00 per acre, equals 1C0U. That the Hermiston Valley is re markably adapted to fruitraising Is not mere theory. Scientific experimctits by officials of the Government demonstrat ed the fact before the reclamation project was undertaken. Practical suc cess of everyday farmers demonstrates it daily. K. E. Thom has for 20 years grown apples within three miles of Hermiston, and declares unqualifiedly from his ex perience that there is no question of the success of that fruit here. Ills finest apple, the Spltzenberg, when properly cared for,, in color and flavor ta unsurpassed in Hood River, Wenatche or Rogue River. The Newfown Pippin has not yet been grown here but is highly recommended ly horticultural authorities for this climate. C. D. McNurlin the last season mark eted a dollar's worth of grapes per vine from 2-year-old Niagara and Concord grapes and grapes are planted 700 vines to tho acre. The same man from a peach orchard planted four years .ago in uncleared and uncultivated ground this ear marketed t540 worth of peaches per acre. When the orchard was planted, Mr. McNurlin knew nothing of Irrigation or fruitrasing. He learned by doing. Another man, on the project raised J300 worth of strawberries and $100 worth of potatoes on one and one-fourth acres, and except when picking the berries, cul tivated the plot in evenings after his day's labor. Such are the little stories of succes in the vlclntiy of Hermiston, Oregon. Town of Hermiston. From a blind siding- to a station earning- over'20.000 in one year: from a hamlet of three houses to an incor- poratea town of BOO inhabitants; from a village of one general store to a trading point where shopping Is a pleasure and an advantage; such is the development of the town of Hermiston In the year 1907. There re no hardships of pioneering in Hermis ton. The people are workers it is no place for drones and they welcome new citizens. Hermiston homes are comfortable, cozy and bordering on luxurious. Social life is a feature such . m as seldom is found in a village of like size. The corner stone of the First Baptist Church, to cost 1300.1, was laid on Chribtmas day. Plans are being made for the erection of a Methodist Church, and Bishop O'Reilly, of Kast ern Oregon, has secured a tract of land for a Catholic Church and boys' board ing school. A new achoolhousa to cost $S000 is in course of erection. The town of Hermiston is in no sense a boom town, but has had a healthy, substantial Growth, as is shown by good brick business blocks, two good hotels, substantial homes, and last, but not least, a class of citi zens far above the average. Spring water, a supply as pure as that of Portland, is being piped into town for domestic use, thus preventing the ditnger of typhoid, so common in irrigated districts. Great credit it due the promoters and citizens of Hermiston for the per manent Improvements which could only be brought about by irrigating the descit and must be seen to ha appreciated. ROBERT E. ALLEN. Hermiston. Or., Fob. 12. Man's Friend, the Whale. Saginaw Courier-Herald. By all means, preserve the whale. He Is one of the most useful of the fishes and is the only one that is known to be of value as a life-preserver. History repeat itself. Perhaps the Jonah story may have to be proven again. How would you feel if you were tumbled oft the back end of a ship in mid-ocean, and knew positively that there were no whales in existence, and consequently that there could be none waiting to carry you safely to shore? It is a com fortable thing to feel now that you have a friend In the ocean on whom you can rely in case of necessity. It 1 you can rely in case of necessity. It is necessary to look at the matter from the emotional or sentimental stand point, for of course the whale Is no longer essential to tho production of whale oil or whalebone. In fact, the best and most serviceable of these vari eties come from entirely different sources. Those produced by tho whale Itself are of a shoddy and unsatisfac tory quality. The whale is not alive to modern methods of manufacture. "t ".!. .X . BREEZES. Dey am no use a fussin' When d win' is In de Wes'. J! good Uwd knows erbout it An' known what wins de b'. De famuli Hk? de wn' win' An' links It tnlghty fin Fob hit brinies him health la Wintah An wealth In Summah time. Try am no use a tusein' When de win' Is in de E', Doug.i hit make de windows rattle An' hit 'pears like we will freeze, Dey's a reason why hit's hlowln' An de I.awd. he knows de why. VVe en amile between de shibbers If we only dea half try. tey am no use a fusiln' when de win" is in de Norf, Foh hit's mlyhty nne in Summah when hit blows foli all lilt'a worf But in Wintah wid de 'mometer lown pas' de freesln' pint. Hit's mig-hty sha'n an" ca'chin' An' finds de achey Joint. Oh! we don' feel like fussin' When de ouf win' comes erlong, Foh hit status de flowers ffrowln' An' cibes de birds dere souk. Hit wrahma up all our hahts errin. Foh de Summah'con de way, An' hit 'pears like we grow happy When de ouf win' comes to ta- grace Louis.
